The Lake Klopeiner See – Southern Carinthia region is a gourmet region through and through. Visitors will find authentic direct marketing of the local handmade produce with regional roots on almost every corner.
Local farmhouse pubs, restaurants and small shops all invite visitors to indulge. The fact that the producers are proud of their produce and their culture is evident from the large number of festivals and events studding the events calendar all summer long.
From the Bleiburg Ham Festival (10.04.11) to the Giant Bacon Festival (24.09.11) in Bad Eisenkappel a visitor’s palate will lack for nothing.
This year Eberndorf Abbey will serve as the setting for the Jaun Valley Salami Festival (31.07.11) for the ninth time. The Jaun Valley salami is regarded as the “queen of sausages”, being intricately manufactured according to knowledge handed down over the years and with an unmistakable Southern Carinthian rural note. The high points of the day include the election of the new Salami King by a specialist jury and a public tasting, as well as the selection of the Salami Princess. Full information on the Jaun Valley Salami Road with producers, direct marketers and local taverns can be found in the “Salami Road Guide”. This is available free of charge from the region’s tourist information offices.
Another regional speciality lies behind the Had’n Herbst (Buckwheat Autumn) (17.–18.09.11) in Neuhaus. In the southern Carinthian vernacular the word Had’n stands for buckwheat, which was brought to Europe by nomadic peoples from Central Asia. Buckwheat is rich in minerals, vitamins and unsaturated fatty acids, and is an organic product which is much in demand. Gourmets visiting one of the numerous landlords in the region can taste their way through buckwheat polenta, pasta pockets, cake, beer and liqueur.
Visitors with an interest in culinary matters can also stride out on the Jaun Valley Enjoyment Marathon throughout the summer. Far away from the pressures of time and everyday stress, this combines hiking with culinary enjoyment, as the individual routes lead past hostelries and taverns which invite you to stop for a while and taste what they have to offer.
